EXCLUSIVE: “Netflix is fortunate to have him.”
That’s what LA28 boss Casey Wasserman said Thursday night of Peter Rice as the mastermind behind the upcoming Summer Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies landed a top gig at the streamer.
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In a dizzying sequence of moves that saw Bela Bajaria ousted as chief content officer at Netflix and former Disney exec Rice parachuted into the job, question remained about Rice’s pivotal role in the 2028 Olympics suddenly being left open. Tonight, Wasserman offered clarification as to what Rice will be doing for the Olympics as well as praised the smooth-operator executive.
“Peter has given the LA28 Ceremonies a vision worthy of the moment, and I am deeply grateful for all he’s accomplished. Few people know how to tell a compelling story to the entire world at once, and Peter is one of those rare few. I’m delighted that he’ll stay with us as Executive Producer for the Ceremonies, where his wisdom and counsel will continue to shape what the world sees in 2028. I congratulate him on his new role. Netflix is fortunate to have him.”
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Rice, the onetime chairman of Walt Disney Television and head of 21st Century Fox who exited the company in June 2022, was tapped to run the L.A. Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies back in June 2025.
Wasserman was in charge of Los Angeles’ failed bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics and kept the job through the city’s awarding of the 2028 Games back in 2017. He has had some brushes with scandal in the years since, but Mayor Karen Bass said early this year she has “full trust” in him. The LA28 board followed with a vote of confidence days later.